My first sub 3 marathon was 2009 , the Perth City to Surf marathon, it’s inaugural year.  These were the days of compression tights and Asics Gel-DS trainers , the light shoe of choice. Actually compared to the training shoe of choice, the latest Kayano, a pair of boots would have been considered light.  At the time I was convinced the Skins Compression tights were a big help (the Nike Alphafly’s of the day?) and I wore them for a few marathons and Comrades in South Africa funnily enough, got a few stares there as they weren’t as popular. In their defense I ran a Comrades PB in them and always did well in the marathon with them on. Over time people just stop wearing them but the science behind them was solid, helping the blood circulation by compressing the legs, thus helping to keep fatigue at bay for longer ? They became more popular with injury avoidance over time and useful for long flights to prevent DVT. I have a pair which I put on sometimes if I feel a niggle coming on, more a placebo probably.

My training was sporadic, as the extract from my training spreadsheet , above, shows. Remember these were the days before Strava, my spreadsheet starts post Comrades 2009 and I’ve recorded every run in it since. Runners and numbers , it’s a thing you know. Looking at the extract you can see that although I didn’t run that much I was still knocking out PB’s (PR’s for my American cousins) most races. This is a wonderful time in a runners career, where every time you put a bib on your chest you expect to run faster , over that distance, than you have ever ran before.  My training consisted of three to four midweek runs with my mates at lunchtime at work and then a long run on the weekend.  That about sums it up. All my tempo or threshold runs were races, so I tried to race often. I was forty two years old and had just started running, well competing, although I had ran Comrades in 2008 but didn’t record my runs until week 22,  2009.

Over the next four years I got my marathon time down to 2:41:14 at the City to Surf marathon and then 2:41:44 in 2016 while wearing the number one bib. (You got this by entering for preferred start first , not by merit.)  I ran the City to Surf marathon ten of the eleven times it was on and all bar one was sub 3. My only time slower than three hours was 2010 when my watch died on the start. I was dropped by my group at around 17k into the race and then ran alone until the finish. With no idea of how quick I was running I finished in three hours and three minutes. I know I could have found three minutes. For many marathons after this I ran with two watches.

As you can see from the extract below from my training spreadsheet in 2016 (seven years after my first sub3 marathon) I was running a lot more, by this time double days were the norm and 100 mile weeks were not uncommon.  I was still dropping my PB’s in most races and this was a wonderful period in my running career. I was even starting to win a few races and regularly podiumed at the local running club events.  The numbers in red numbers in brackets where kilometres of the total that were  sub 4minutes, I was running quicker and wanted to record the faster portions, these days I don’t bother.  Unfortunately in 2017 I had my first major injury , a 5cm calf tear that put me out of action for three months.  ( I came back too early and tore it again , rookie error)  2018 was a similar story but this time I was out for three months with plantar fasciitis.  I don’t think I ever ran as quick as I did in 2016, injuries and age conspired against me.  I only ran six more marathons after 2016 instead moving into ultra marathons, running thirty five over the last seven years and counting.

2019 was the last time I ran a sub3 marathon, a 2:55 finish at my 10th City to Surf marathon and 10 years from my first. It was sub three number 32.  In those ten years I have so many great memories and it’s one of the main reasons I bang out these posts on an irregular basis. I’m trying to help other runners get better and experience what I have from basically running , racing and just having fun with your mates, which in essence is what running is. Will I run sub 3 again ? I’m not sure. I ran a 3:04 at Bibra Lake marathon earlier this year and I’ve got the Perth Running Festival in a few weeks so I’ll see if I can go quicker. My training has been sporadic since Bibra and I also threw in a Backyard Ultra to break things up, probably not a good idea.

So to the point of this post. I have to go over my history to give myself some credibility and with that I’m hoping you, the reader, will take my advice onboard , in the end this is why I do what I do , to try and get you to the finish line quicker. Right my marathon tips , in no specific order.

First of all distance is king. Running is the most honest sport there is bar the super shoes of the last few years ? You rally do sow what you reap  , you get out what you put in, you get the general idea. The more you run the better you get. I’m a big Maffetone ( https://philmaffetone.com/method/ ) and Fitzgerald 80/20 fan. ( https://www.8020endurance.com/ ) (80% training slow and steady, 20% tempo/threshold/race)  If you can add double days all the better and before you say it you can always find time for two runs if  you really want to. Back in the day I’d be up at 5am and back before the family work, then cycle to work (on my Elliptigo ( https://www.elliptigo.com/ ) ) before a lunchtime run with the boys and cycle home. Two runs and two cycles and the family were none the wiser.  This allowed me to regularly hit 100 miles a week in training. I was never as fit or as fast as when I could run ten to fourteen times a week and over 100 miles.

My good friend Jon Pendse is a classic example of train easy to race hard. Jon will run at over 5min/k average pace on 90% of his training runs and usually over a hundred miles a week, his only speed work is a park run 5k every Saturday, here he’ll run sub 17 minutes. This approach has worked well for Jon who is running his 100th marathon in a few weeks with an average finishing time of close to three hours. He is still chasing a sub two hours forty minutes finish and has come close , and still comes close, on a number of occasions.  He also races often sometimes as many as right marathons a year as well as a smattering of shorter distances.  Jon is basically running what I use to in 2016 and achieving the same results.

Midweek medium long runs at close to Marathon Pace. I use to run home from work twice a week and this started as a leisurely 16k commute before morphing into a 22k MP tempo session. I’m convinced this was the run that allowed me to drop my PB significantly over a couple of years. I also started to run at MP pace or better more regularly after reading a article on a training plan where you would run at Marathon Pace all the time so when you actually ran the event you would just revert to your training pace. It worked for the runner in question and certainly helped me run faster for longer ?

Do not get injured. Because if you get injured consistency goes out the window and if you want to improve as a runner you need consistency. There’s no point running a 100 mile week in training and then doing nothing for weeks, of course you are allowed the odd ‘down week’ but that’s normally planned and every four to five weeks, this also helps your body recover, which in turn helps to avoid injury.

Race often at all distances. You never run as fast as you do with a bib on your chest and competition at your heels. As you can see from my training extract in 2016 I was racing every other weekend, normally on tired legs but when the gun went off it’s all forgotten and it’s on like ‘donkey kong’.  You need to embrace racing, it’s the icing on the cake , it’s why you do what you do, all those early mornings and time in the pain box is for racing success. Of course you could substitute racing with tempo or threshold sessions but the racing is also part social, and lets face it running is normally a solitary sport.  When you get down to a race you are surrounded by like minded individuals all doing what they love, what is there not to love about racing ?  Also don’t just race the marathon, you’ll get confidence from indicator races. I’m a big believer in your best half time , doubled and add ten minutes gives you a good marathon indicator time.   For a sub3 marathon I’d say you’d need to be running a 1:28 half minimum and more likely a 1:25. (Which would relate to my half time , double and add ten minutes)  Of course this also depends on the runner and some runners can hold 4:15min/k pace all day long but go no slower or quicker., compared to others who go out quick and hang on.  Racing often is good for confidence. I’m won 4k races and placed in 200 milers, I just love the racing part of running and truth be told without it I’m not sure I would continue running.

Cross training, Strength work and rest. This is a case of do what I say not what I do truth be told. I did use to ride my Elliptigo ( https://www.elliptigo.com ) to work back in the day and this definitely helped, if you can get yourself a stand up bike I’d highly recommend it. I’d call this type of exercise cross training. I was also a big fan of circuit classes. Lately though I have not been as active as I should have been with my strength and cross training but I understand I need to make more of an effort in these areas and will, promise ? Rest is also an underrated addition in the marathon runners arsenal, sleep is so important for injury avoidance and body (and mind) rejuvenation.  What other sport can you improve by taking a mid day nap, running is the sport that just keeps on giving ?

Mental strength is as important as physical in the last 10k. The human body can get to 32k in a marathon before it needs outside assistance, be that hydration and nutrition. You’ll see this on Strava in 90% of runners , the splits are metronome like up to 32k and then it all starts to go south very quickly.  Around the 32k mark in a marathon is where you need to tap into the 60% you have left (according to Goggins) At the heart of Goggins’ narrative lies a guiding principle derived from his extraordinary experiences — the 40% rule. This principle posits that when the mind signals fatigue, exhaustion, and the desire to quit, it’s merely scratching the surface, indicating that only 40% of one’s true potential has been tapped into. Personally I have only ‘bonked’ once in my 47 marathons and that was on the first one when I was totally unprepared and had little or no nutrition or hydration on the course. Virtually dead on 32k into the race my legs just stopped and I slowed considerably.  I remember at the time thinking to myself to run faster but the legs were gone. It made the last 10k a challenge to say the least. Ever since then I’ve always finished strong and look forward to the 32k mark as I switch to finish mode with the finish line within striking distance. I’ve changed my mentality to look forward to the last ten kilometres and feel my mind understands the end is in sight and gives me some more juice to get there quicker, thus putting an end to the suffering.

If you need any more tips or tricks on running marathons just type in the terms in the search bar and over the years I’m sure I would have written about it, remember the next best thing after running is writing about running.

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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

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